My name is Shinji Kazama!
by F-14 Tomcat Lover
Summary: What if Shinji Ikari didn't exist? What if a boy named Shinji Kazama was the first child? Wait! Ikari and Kazama are one and the same, but Shinji is an Ace, an Ace from Area 88.
1. Getting New Wings

Disclaimer: I do not own Area 88 or Evangelion.

Summary: Shinji Ikari had fled from being useless and unwanted. He was sleeping on the streets when he overheard two men talking. A boy his own age was fighting as a mercenary at an airbase in the Middle East. What did Shinji have to loss by signing up? He soon found himself being sent to the base. He was only 12 years old and now he would be a fighter pilot with on the job training.

"_**My Name is Shinji Kazama!"**_

_**  
Chapter Zero: "Finding Wings to Fly"

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**_

**Tokyo-2, Japan, Asia**

**Third Street and Sakura Way**

**Alley behind the Aslan Embassy**

**1345 hrs, Tokyo Standard Time**

Shinji Ikari, age 12, was eating a burger and fries he had swiped daringly in the open day time in front of people at a drive through burger joint. He quickly polished off the drink he had also stolen with the food and began to wonder where he was going next. He was getting pretty skilled at staying alive on the streets. He was really enjoying his himself, being free and all, but he knew he was not happy at all. He had ran away from a good home because his guardian said he was a burden to his father and his father had replied that he had no use for the boy.

Shinji just sighed again, the feeling of victory at getting his lunch already going away. Then Fate decided to throw the boy a lucky curve ball. Whether Shinji took it or not was up to him and him alone, but Fate was determined to get the boy to follow a plan of action. Because Shinji would need this strength to live in three years time and to survive the trials that man was about to endure. He would also need very skilled allies and only one place held any who remained truly the best of the best.

Two guards had spotted Shinji, but a visitor saw something in the boy and had two of his men go and try to get the boy to join up with a special group. The two men stopped and looked left and right; they stood a scant meter from Shinji. Then they began to speak, giving the appearance that they were in need of a quiet place to talk. Shinji listened to every word they spoke.

"Well Ali, what of the boy?" asked the first man.

"Well Boris, he isn't very talented as a pilot, but he has his talents and has a degree of talent or he would have died long ago," said the second man Ali.

"To think he is only thirteen years old… Saki is against having anymore children at his base, but he has not the final say," Boris said.

"Yes, we've been instructed to get a few more children, like orphans and runaways who have nothing else. Though in all honesty, I agree with Saki on this one. Children need to learn how to live, not fight wars… Not like that NERV organization that intends to use them as pilots of those… those monsters!" Ali was disgusted.

"I hear that the leader of the project is a Japanese man by the name of Gendo Ikari," Shinji stiffened as Boris said that and listened to what else he had to say, "the man knows how dangerous those things are and already there have been several major incidents including his own wife's death! Where does a man like that get off being allowed to 'recruit'," Boris said it in a way that said conscript, "children! This is not Central or South America or Africa or South East Asia or the damn Balkans! This is Japan!"

"I know, you know, we all know, but he is getting away with it," Ali sighed and accidentally made eye contact with Shinji.

Shinji didn't run nor did he freeze, he stood up and said one sentence, "Does this Saki have a spare fighter and a bed?"

Ali and Boris looked at one another and both smiled secretly at each other. They turned to the boy and told him to follow them inside where he could become a fighter pilot. Shinji followed and soon he was on a plane to the Middle East, to a small airfield and from there a short helicopter flight to a base in the middle of nowhere, Area 88.


	2. First Steps

Disclaimer: I do not own Area 88 or Evangelion.

Summary: Shinji Ikari had fled from being useless and unwanted. He was sleeping on the streets when he overheard two men talking. A boy his own age was fighting as a mercenary at an airbase in the Middle East. What did Shinji have to loss by signing up? He soon found himself being sent to the base. He was only 12 years old and now he would be a fighter pilot with on the job training.

"_**My Name is Shinji Kazama!"**_

_**  
Chapter One: "First Steps"

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**_

**Yokohama-2, Japan, Asia**

**Yokohama-2 Train Station**

**1445 hrs, Tokyo Standard Time**

Shinji Ikari, age 15, growled at the fact that Mickey Simmons, his ride, was late to pick him up. You'll think a hot shot like him would know how to be on time! But no! If it isn't a girl old enough to flirt with, drink with, and get into bed with, he's never on time! Here he was, back from flying a damn escort mission from Alaska to some small airbase back in Northern Japan.

Shinji calmed a little. He was getting all wiled up over nothing. Shinji was supposed to fly home after the mission, but just his luck that _he _would get informed that _his_ plane had been accidentally shipped off to a bone yard to be turned into scrap metal and spare parts! Luckily, he had been escorting the Crowned Imperial Princess of Japan and she heard his voice at the other end of the airfield, she made an order for the plane to be quickly rescued and shipped to his home on the outskirts of Tokyo-2. There was one thing settle, next it was taking a train all the way back home for Shinji since the base commander had put his foot down when it came to allowing the boy to travel with the Imperial Princess. Shinji was quite sure that the base commander wanted to make sure that only his 'elite' pilots escorted the princess and not some kid mercenary with a man's attitude.

Shinji had held a smile almost all the way to Yokohama-2 when his father and a few of their friends had to bail out the 'elite' fighter pilots when they were bounced by a flight of Mig-23 Floggers. Despite being in F-15 Charlie Eagles, the pilots were far from experienced to work on their own without the benefit of an AWACS. The Migs had downed the EC-173 first and then bounced the fighters, getting most in one pass, but they proved no match for a flight of F-4 Phantom IIs with one Mirage, one F-14A Tomcat, one British made AV-8B Mark. II Harrier II, and a single F-5E Tiger II. With Shinji grounded, his father and his flight took to the air and made interception of the bogeys second flight that would get the kill of the princess' transport, but the appearance of the a squadron of top rated pilots, it was a massacre for the would be two flights of assassins.

Shinji chuckled to himself and then remembered something; they only had one Tomcat and one man who flew it! So who in the world was going to pick him up? Then Shinji noticed something else. He looked left and he looked right, because he was supposed to be at one of the busiest train stations in all of Japan and it was abandoned, except for two JGSDF M60 Pattons that were burning hell for leather in what seemed to be a frenzy escape from something down the train tracks.

"Wait a damn second! Escape!" Shinji ran to the nearest phone and tried to use, only to find that the phone service had been cut due to a 'National Emergency.'

"Crap!" he said quietly and then he noticed a girl with blue hair and what appeared to be a green and white girl's school uniform watching him, but then a flock of birds took to the sky and when he looked back, she was gone.

Then there was a horrid screeching noise followed by what sounded like cruise missiles. Then he saw the cruise missiles go around a mountain and heard the explosion from them. He then saw something emerge unscathed by the missiles as Type-05 VTOLs flew backwards attempting to find the point of attack. Some fired their missiles and Shinji's trained and battle hardened eye could tell that the pilots were in a panic and firing in a craze. He knew that even if the missiles and rockets hadn't hit some kind of shield the thing has, the attacks would have done nothing, save irritate their enemy.

Shinji sighed as one pilot panicked and was down, but he was quick to jump to the side as the VTOL nearly came down on top of his head. He saw that the pilot had not survived from the rubble atop the cockpit and the steel beam going through his face, but the crew members were desperately trying to get free. Shinji ran over and pulled the emergency lever on the outside and the four men inside scrambled out and scattered as Shinji jumped clear as the VTOL was crushed beneath the monster's foot and exploded, but squealing tires and the sound of shrapnel hitting metal told Shinji that he was alive.

A door opened up and Shinji was through before the driver called to him. The driver then punched it and the two were rocketing away as the battle continued unabated. As they were fleeing Shinji looked back to see UN and JSDF forces being brushed aside, their commanders obliviously had not been prepared and were attacking the thing as though it was an invading army. Shinji knew that kind of operational deployment called for heavy losses on the defending side.

"Well, we meet at last Shinji Ikari, I'm Captain Mistao Katsuragi of the secret government organization known as…"

"NERV, whose creed is God is in his Heaven and All is right in the World," Shinji sounded bored and then a thought struck him.

"I'm not Shinji Ikari, I'm Shinji Kazama!" he yelled at the woman, anger filling his veins.

"WHAT!" she looked upset, but she stopped the car momentarily to grab something, a file and looked at a picture of a boy, it was Shinji, but in a school uniform.

"This is you correct?" she asked, her brown eyes pleading for a yes answer.

"I left the name Ikari behind, because my parents are dead," Shinji flat panned.

"Not according to this. Your father is the commander of NERV, Commander Gendo Ikari…" Shinji popped a question.

"Was it NERV who sabotage my plane and trapped me in Yokohama Two?"

"What plane? According to this I was supposed to pick…"

"They're using an N-Two Mine!" Shinji shouted and both took cover as the shock waves hit the car and flipped it over several times.

As soon as the blast had subsided, the heat had subsided, the shock waves, the air pressure, everything, the two got out and Shinji pulled his Gloch .45 and held it to the woman's back. She tensed, not expecting the boy she was sent to pick-up to have such a powerful weapon.

"Talk, fast," was all he said.

Mistao took a deep breath explaining she was the Operations Director of NERV and knew nothing about any plane, any trap, or anything about his situation, but she did have NERV's number and a cell phone. She watched as he replaced the weapon back in its holster and took her cell phone from her jacket it pocket. As she watched him dial a number, she was sure he was calling someone other than NERV.

"Hello mother is father there?" that left the OD of NERV confused.

"Hello father, it seems that _he_ wants me back even though he has no legal claim to me anymore. Yes I know… At least my plane's safe… They did WANT TO MY TIGER TWO!" Mistao winced.

"Yes, I will go see him and see what he wants."

Mistao heard the speaker at the other end this time, because she had gotten close enough to listen.

"_Be careful Shinji, I'll talk to Saki to light a fire under the UN to get him off your back. Huh, oh, it seems that your brother and sister want to say something to..."_

"_Hey Shin! We just got a call to go fly cover over the city of Tokyo Three and to search for a little blue sports car with a lavender haired woman dressed in black with white trim and a cross around her neck!"_

"I think that's us you guys are being asked to look for, most likely _him_ again."

"_I kind of gathered that. NERV is up to something and it might have to do with this State of Emergency that has been declared."_

"It does and the UN and JSDF are led by idiots."

"What else is new," Mistao said, to which Shinji smiled at her, surprising her.

"_Well, see what he wants in any case and then inform us of what it is."_

"Very well father, I'll see you guys later, Bye!"

"_See you soon son,"_ and the call ended.

Mistao decided to hold her tongue, but Shinji spoke to her about the fact that his birth parents were dead, but not his adoptive parents, Shin and Ryoko Kazama. He then told her of how he met Shin and then Ryoko. Mistao nearly fainted learning that Ryoko was the daughter of the former president of Yamato Airlines and that as heir, she was now the President of Yamato Airlines. She really did faint for about two or three hours when Shinji told her that Shin Kazama was a famous mercenary pilot, and still is, and still flew merc missions. When she awoke, she found Shinji driving them to the NERV underground headquarters. She growled and then thought and then voiced it.

"YOU CAN DRIVE!" she shouted and Shinji just yawned.

"Driving, I prefer my Kawasaki F200 CR3B Custom," then as an after thought, "well for the ground anyways, nothing beats a Tiger Two dodging Mig gunfire and missiles and sending them to hell not in enough pieces to fill a hand basket."

"A Tiger Two?" Mistao asked.

"Oh I forgot to mention that I'm a merc too, and my plane of choice is the F-Five Echo Tiger Two. It's a light fighter design that is used primarily as a trainer in most air forces, but for those who can't afford Tomcats, Raptors, Eagles, Fulcrums, and other top of the line fighters usually press either older generation fighters to the frontline or use trainers as combat aircraft," Shinji explained.

"I'm gonna need a lot of beer when this day is over!" the purple haired woman whined.

"The base cantina has some fine drinks, though I haven't partaken. If you join or ask real nicely, I think you might get a drink or two, but that's probably it," Shinji supplied.

"What do you take me for? Your cantina is probably just stocked…"

"I met my father at Area Eighty-Eight," Shinji interrupted her.

"Can I be a spy instead of a fighter pilot?" Mistao could only begin to imagine what kind of beer the elite pilots of Area 88 had.

"That is odd?" Shinji mumbled to himself, but Mistao heard him.

"Yeah, well, NERV is not the most trusting organization around and the pay to hours is awful. Add to that there are reasons not to trust the commander and to be wary of the sub-commander and besides, once the Angels are gone, I'll need a new job anyways," Mistao explained.

"There's more and I will respect your right to privacy," Shinji was blunt, but respectful.

"Thanks, but I can guess you know about my family… my name is Katsuragi after all," Mistao sighed remembering the Second Impact from ground zero.

"We actually know that, Saki was able to get a list of all those who worked at Gehrin and when it became NERV, it was far easier to get up to date information," Mistao eyed the kid like he was nuts.

"I knew Section Two was full of idiots," she was going to give their head agent a talking to later before the commander.

"Actually we've been listening into the SEELE council's communications with NERV command," he was blunt and Mistao just laughed at his bluntness, but then got wide eyed as Shinji explained everything that was known to the Area 88 pilots.

"BASTARDS!" Mistao roared.

"Let me think…"

"What there's more?" Mistao asked.

"I think I just won the bet," Shinji looked at his watch and smiled, "I won the bet!"

"What bet?"

"The bet for whoever calls those right fools bastards for the literal one millionth time and if I remember correctly, it's currently at several hundred gees, so I can get that new fighter I've always wanted!"

"You guys had a…" Shinji used the car phone to call it in and sure enough he had won and gotten the money.

"Right, thank you and please tell Old McCoy I want that one fighter I've always been looking at. Yes I know it's a relic, but I love its sleek design and it's a beautiful old girl. Yes thank you, Buh-bye!" Shinji had a huge grin on his face.

"What plane did you just buy?" Mistao asked.

"A P-Fifty-One Delta Mustang with all the bells and whistles. Piston aircraft as so much better sounding then jet fighters," Shinji felt as if he was in high heaven.

"Well, we better pull over so I can drive the rest of the way and I meant everything about being a spy," Mistao said returning Shinji to reality.

"I know, but first, Commander Pain in the Ass," both laughed at Shinji's joke as they arrived at NERV headquarters.

* * *

A couple hours later and learning that Mistao could easily get lost in the maze like design of the main headquarters place, hell even Shinji would admit that if it wasn't for his skills and knowledge in navigation he _too_ would easily get lost. The same thought went through the heads. Madmen were indeed paranoid. Then they ran into a blonde brown eyed woman about Mistao's age wearing a white lab coat and a blue swim suit. Ritsuko Akagi, Shinji knew her by sight and knew she was a bottle blonde.

As the three rode the elevator, Shinji felt he just had to ask, he would always chalk that one question up to being a fighter pilot.

"So why become a bottle blonde and how does it feel?"

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**Mistao Katsuragi's POV**

I just about burst out laughing at the fact that Shinji had seen right through her bottle blonde hair. Ritz was standing as still as a statue and looking like one as well. The expression on her face is so priceless.

'_Note to self, ask Section Two for a few copies.'_

Even as the elevator continued to go up, hitting the always occasional bump, Ritz was ram rod straight and Shinji had a small smile threatening to blossom into a full fledge laughter. I still can't believe that he said that to Ritsuko. I have to give him credit though he hit the nail right on the head. I have never seen Ritz like this in the entire time I've known her.

Oh… wait she's turning to face Shinji… This is going to be good.

"Excuse me young man, but what makes you think I'm a bottle blonde?" Ritsuko asks and it's so obvious that she is one, talk about an idiot.

"You mean to tell me that the world's most powerful organization can't tell a bottle blonde from a real blonde?" Shinji replied and boy it was good!

"I'll inform you…" Shinji cut her off.

"My father is a blonde, but is also still Japanese, his father had been an American I think, but I'm not sure, he was abandoned at an early age, but that's beside the point. Being around him made it easy to tell you were a bottle blonde, because bottle blondes have brighter blonde hair than natural blondes," Shinji explained and man I got to check… Oh damn! Forgot that the guy is married, oh well… I don't even want to think of _him_.

"I had hope you had been taught manners by you're… father? I thought…" I've signal Ritz not to bring that up. At least she's not that stupid not to notice me warning her not to pursue that line of questioning.

"Anyway, where did you learn to be so rude?" Ritz asked and boy I'm definitely asking Section Two for the pictures.

"What is wrong with this place? I've had to repeat my story twice now! I'm a mercenary pilot from Area Eighty-Eight! And I'm tied for the sixth position with Kim as the Sixth highest ranked Ace in the group! I fly a F-Five Echo Tiger Two, though I have been thinking about upgrading to a F-Sixteen Charlie Falcon as of late, because I want additional firepower and speed," boy, does Shinji looked annoyed after explaining that again, but I like the look on Ritz's face. I'm going to have so fun much blackmailing her later.

"A mercenary? But aren't you a little young for that?" Ritz, how dumb can you be.

"You want me for something and I'm pretty sure it's not to be a poster boy or so my so-called father can suddenly have a family again," nice one Shinji that outta knock Ritz down a few more pegs.

Then I hear the bell chime telling us we are at our desired stop and I hate that little bell, this was getting good, but in the end, this round goes to Shinji!

"We intend to defend all of humanity, not fight petty arguments," Ritz defends her faltering position to the end, sigh.

"Protecting a sanctioned nation and dealing with those who thought to have power over others… If I remember correctly the backers were a group known as SEELE and they seemed to have some interest in Japan," Definitely this round goes to Shinji, since the look on Ritz's face proves her defeat.

Now its time to see if piloting a jet is similar to piloting an Eva.

**End Mistao's POV

* * *

**

After a short ride on a lift elevator, the trio arrive inside a dark room. The lights then came on and before Dr. Akagi can break into some speech, Shinji voices an obvious fact, though to him, a stupid fact.

"It's purple?"

"You're point?" Dr. Akagi feels robbed of her chance to say something grand like the commander or even a mad scientist.

"My fighters are black and white to specify night and day, good and evil, scientists and priests," Shinji couldn't help that last remark and saw how it ruffled the good, if potentially evil, doctor.

"_Interesting choice,"_ a voice booms.

"Yeah, but I got bored with it so I added a touch of red and blue, place my symbol which is a dragon with crossing spears to signify my call sign which is Wyvern or Wei to my friends," Shinji turned to the speaker.

"It's been about three years and some odd months since I last heard that voice, but now I get to see the no load that owns the voice after eleven years," Shinji doesn't even look at the man.

"_So is that why you disappeared? Never mind, now that you are here, you will…"_ the Bastard King himself is cut off.

"Pilot the huge freaking bio-mechanical robot behind, the same one my mother lost her life in testing in twenty oh four. I have few guarantees I won't die during the initial activation of this behemoth and now you want me to go out and save the world, sure why the hell not, but its going to cost you big!" Shinji had a knowing smirk.

"_And what would you want, a family?"_ Gendo Ikari, Commander of NERV asked.

"Have that and a nice large one too, with a mother, father, little brothers and sisters, and a large air base full of brothers and sisters forged through fire and death on the battlefield. The price tag for my services up front is seven hundred-thousand American dollars. Contact my boss and see what the rest of the fee will be, Saki Vashtar of the Area Eighty-Eight Mercenary Troop," Shinji didn't even bother looking at the Commander of NERV as he decided to check out the Evangelion he had heard so much about.

"_Then we have no choice,"_ Commander Ikari said sounding annoyed.

Inside the control room he was in, Commander Ikari opened a com link to Sub-Commander Kozou Futysuki. The Commander informs the Sub-Commander that the spare won't work and orders that the First Child be brought up to pilot Unit Zero-One. The Bastard Commander opens up another com link, voice only, and informs the First Child, Rei Ayanami that the spare won't work. She replies she is ready.

* * *

Five minutes later, Rei Ayanami, the First Child is rolled out in front of the supposed to be Third Child. Shinji saw her wounds as she lay upon the gurney she had been brought in on and then he looked up. Shinji may be a mercenary, but Gendo Ikari and his NERV have inconvenienced him for the last time. He pulls his weapon and fires one shot into the command booth window. Had it gone through the multiple layers of reinforced Plexiglas, Gendo Ikari would have taken a bullet in between the eyes.

"You really know how to play dirty. The price still stands and I'll expect it after the battle, but ever try to control my life again and I'll drop an N-Two Mine into your lap," Shinji put his weapon away.

Gendo Ikari had staggered slightly. Fear flew uncontrolled through his veins. As those who could see a man that was practically untouchable, the sight of him scared by someone who sound be easy to control frightened him to no end. Gendo Ikari made a mental note to be wary of the Third Child.

Then the hanger began to shake violently from explosions. Shinji watched as the medical personal took off running with a lot of the technicians, but most of the people in the hanger stayed and continued getting ready for the eventual launch of the Evangelion Unit-01.

Shinji through ran to the side of Rei Ayanami intent on removing her from harms way when he tripped, fell to the ground, using his body to absorb the impact and act as a cushion for Rei Ayanami. He looked up to see steel beams and light overhangs break loose and fall towards them both. Shinji felt something touch his mind, he felt and he knew the presence behind it. He allowed it access and the Unit-01 pulled its right arm free of its restraints and blocked the debris falling towards the two youngsters.

Shinji rose with a small smile that only Rei could see, but she also saw it turn into a sign of pain as Shinji nearly doubled over. She knew right away that he had been harmed. But in what way and how bad was not known to her, but Shinji knew.

Mistao ran over to help the two teens. Shinji looked a little worse than Rei and that was saying a lot, but then she saw it. A deep red along his side and growing and as she was about to voice it he spoke first.

"When we were flipping around after the N-Two went off, I was hit by some broken glass and debris. It wasn't bad, but that little attack did a huge number on me. I don't think I could possibly pilot the machine alone," Shinji's voice was weak, but she knew that he was trying to conserve strength.

Her mind made up, she ordered a launch.

"Prep Unit One for both pilots to operate! Hurry up and load up the First Child's piloting data and load a blank slate for the Third Child!"

"Mistao! That's crazy!"

"_Approved,"_ the Commander of NERV said ending the argument.

The unit was prepped and some medical personal tended to Shinji's wound so that he wouldn't die anytime soon, but they still didn't like the fact that he was launching. They helped him into a plug suit that was conveniently his size; abate, a little tight around his overall athletic build and he was loaded with Rei on his lap into the Entry Plug.

As preparations continue down in NERV, a large formation of conventional and relic fighters begin to attack the 3rd Angel, Sachiel.

* * *

So the big battle is about to begin between the pilots of Area 88 and the Eva Unit-01. Yet, I've made a twist by putting Rei into the pilot's seat along with Shinji, both of whom are injured. Now we shall see what happens when the mother has her two children to protect. 


End file.
